148 workers suffer fatal injuries

The HSE has published the latest ‘full-year’ statistics on fatal injuries in the workplace.

The provisional figure for the number of workers fatally injured in 2012/13 is 148 and corresponds to a rate of fatal injury of 0.5 deaths per 100,000 workers. This is 18% lower than the average for the past five years (181).

In manufacturing there were 20 fatal injuries to workers, lower than the five-year average (28). The latest rate of fatal injury is 0.7 deaths per 100,000, compared to an average rate of 0.9 over the previous five years.

In construction there were 39 fatal injuries to workers, 26% lower than the five-year average figure of 53 and a decrease from the 48 deaths recorded in 2011/12. The latest rate of fatal injury is 1.9 per 100,000 workers, compared to a five-year average of 2.3.

In the North West, there were 15 fatal injuries to workers, lower than the five-year average figure of 23.

The GB five-year average rate is the lowest across all EU member states. The GB rate for 2010 is considerably lower than the corresponding EU rate (1.57 per 100,000) and that of many other EU member states, including the large economies of Germany (0.81), Italy (1.57), Spain (1.76) and France (2.49).